As Christians,
we all have a
story we must
share—the Gospel,
the Good News of
Jesus Christ, our
Lord and Savior.
But we also have
another story to
share, the story
of what Jesus has
done in our lives.
“For a long time I’ve been saying that there
are so many wonderful stories and
testimonies in our church, and we’ve
been looking for an intentional way to tell
those stories.” —Pastor Jack Graham
In keeping with the theme at Prestonwood
this year to Tell the Story, Pastor Jack Graham
is sharing testimonies, weaving them into
messages, and stories are being shared on our
website and in publications. There are stories
of changed lives, of marriages being restored,
of souls affected forever because of the love
of Christ shown by our members.
Chris Anderson on vacation with his family last year
Chris Anderson was a prodigal son. A
preacher’s kid, Chris lost his way as a young
man, turning to alcohol and tobacco
and focusing on a budding career in the
healthcare industry. His family and his
relationship with Christ fell by the wayside.
Then in April 2006, at the age of 34, he
suffered a stroke.
Just several months earlier, his wife, Karen, and
their two children, Grace and Jackson, had
begun attending Prestonwood. While in the
hospital, Chris was amazed at the love shown
to his family. Every day, someone visited.
“I couldn’t speak to them yet, but they
encouraged me with words and prayer,” Chris
said. “I can’t tell you how much that
meant to me, and how it would soon lay the
groundwork for my return to church.”
Though the initial diagnosis was bleak, Chris
was walking within a couple of months. “My
speech and my right arm are still affected
now, almost two years later, but I know God
will use these for His glory,” Chris said. “I have
realized that through my weaknesses others
can see God’s strength.”
The Andersons now attend Prestonwood
North, and Chris has found his calling in
missions work. He is using his expertise in
hospital compliance to help Prestonwood
begin a clinic in Braila, Romania through ServingHIM Healthcare International Ministries,
and is traveling to Romania this summer.
“You never know what God has in store,” Chris
said. “Five years ago I couldn’t have imagined
this. Now I can’t wait for the next five years.”
Krista Dockery attending recent women’s Bible study
Pastor Jack
Graham baptizing
Krista Dockery
Krista Dockery has a similar story to tell. Two
years ago, she was led to Christ by a coworker.
But after that initial contact, the coworker
never explained what came next and Krista
returned to her sinful ways.
But last June, things happened that led her to
Prestonwood North. When her husband, Dan, left
for a one-year tour in Iraq, Krista began looking
for a church home. She received a Prestonwood
North postcard in the mail, then a friend invited
her to church, and another friend invited her to a
Home Bible Study Group close to home.
She began attending both. Just four weeks later,
she was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love
when she gave birth to Rileigh, her third child.
“People came to the hospital, they brought meals
to the house and called,” Krista said. “Nobody
really knew me but they treated me like family.”
Krista was baptized in December. “I feel like I’m
being fed for the first time in my life,” she said.
Don and Gwen Hooton were also embraced by
the Prestonwood family. When they suffered
the loss of their teenage son, Taylor, in 2003,
their Bible Fellowship class rallied around them.
“I don’t know how we would have gotten
through it without them and without our faith,”
Don said.
“As a church
family, my hope is
that when we hear
the testimonies,
we will believe
even more strongly
in the power of the
Gospel to change
lives, and that we
will rejoice in what
God is doing with
us as a church.” —Pastor Jack Graham
And that faith gave Don strength to help
others learn from Taylor’s tragic death caused
by the effects of steroids. Today, Taylor’s story
continues to be heard as Major League Baseball
investigates the abuse of steroids and other
performance-enhancing drugs by its players.
“I thank God every day for opening the doors
to allow me to do this,” Don said. “For being
able to tell this story.”
Our hope is that, at the end of the year, our
church family will have advanced the Gospel
as never before—locally, nationally and
internationally.
